Couple forced to close Kings Heath Park cafe back behind counter ahead of fresh talks with Birmingham City Council

It was more than just a storm in a tea cup – but now a popular Birmingham cafe is open for business again.

Husband-and-wife team Michelle and Mark Kelly were back behind the counter at The Victorian Tea Rooms, in Kings Heath Park, over the weekend.

The couple, who have run the business with other relatives for 17 years, were forced to shut up shop last week in a long-running wrangle sparked when they lost the contract to run the site.

Backed by a groundswell of public support, they had previously defied Birmingham City Council’s demands for them to quit – and even opened up when the authority changed the locks.

But a tea rooms spokesman said yesterday it was “business as usual” ahead of fresh talks with the council this week.

“We can’t say too much at the moment because we don’t want to jeopardise anything, but we are open again,” she said. “We begin negotiations with the council this week and are hopeful of being allowed to trade permanently.

“But at the moment, it is business as usual and we are open.”

The row flared when the Kellys, whose business is called MK Catering, lost the contract to run the tea rooms to rival bidder Gray Court Catering.

That company later withdrew from the process but the authority still insisted the family could not remain at the site.

Deputy council leader Coun Ian Ward said last month: “MK Catering refused to co-operate with and frustrated the smooth handover to the new contractor.

“As a result Gray Court withdrew from the contract, causing substantial financial loss for the city.

“In these circumstances, we feel it would be totally inappropriate to allow MK Catering to continue trading having undermined the fair and robust process that has been gone through.

“MK Catering was given ample notice to leave the premises which they chose not to do.

“Having exceeded the length of their contractual term they were served notice to quit and the city took possession of the premises.

“They have since criminally entered the building and the city will take all necessary action to uphold council taxpayers’ interests and the rule of the law.”